Where Does Faith Com From?

Thank you, Mr. Sappington. Good afternoon, brethren. It is great to be here in Houston. Thank you for the invitation to come over. I always get a sense of home whenever I walk into the Church of God. I've grown up in the Church and traveled around this country mostly, around the world, even lived in another country for a time in the Middle East.

And whenever I find a congregation, I just get that feeling of home. Like, I love to be with the brethren, and it is just so wonderful to see you. San Antonio, Austin, Houston, it doesn't matter. Whether it's the Church of God, that's where home is. So we have a theme today of the importance of faith. And I understand the Bible study was very good.

I was on the road, and I didn't hear it. But I understand it was very good. What I want to do is talk about something very fundamental and very basic. When I first came to San Antonio about 24 years ago, I met an elder named George Payton. And he was hospitable. Some of you have been around a long time, remember George Payton. And he had a small ranch, a little 30-anchor ranch, not far from San Antonio.

And he and his wife would have everybody out. If you didn't go to George Payton's ranch, it's because you didn't want to make the drive, because you were welcome. Everybody in the Church was welcome at his ranch. They were pillars in the congregation. You know, there's just those people. You know, those people. They're pillars of faith in the congregation. And George Payton was one of those. When someone would get in trouble and, you know, maybe get in trouble with the law or something like that, it was Mr.

Payton that would go to that person when they would come back and be repentant. It was Mr. Payton that would be first in line to welcome them back. Just a rock of faith. Not judgmental. He put, you know, Christianity into practice. And you could see his example and follow it, and you would go, wow, you know, I really want to be like that guy.

And then he got cancer, and he got really sick with cancer, and he was dying. So being a great friend, we would go over. I mean, he was our great friend. We weren't great friends. He was a great friend. We would go over to his ranch to comfort him. And you know what he would do? He didn't want to talk about his problems. He had cancer. He was dying. That was obvious. You know what he wanted to talk about? How we were doing. How the church was doing.

How the congregation was doing. Here's a man on his sickbed, dying, asking about us. We were trying to encourage him, and he was encouraging us. There was none of that, why me? I can't believe this is happening to me. Just faith. He was one of those rocks in the church. The people that you can count on. The steady in a crisis. The ones that you can go to.

How can you be that kind of person? Do you ever feel like you just don't measure up? Do you think that maybe you're not cut out for this Christian walk? Like, those people have something special inside that you will never have. How did they become so steady like that? How do they have such great faith? Are they better than you? No, they are not. But do you know why the answer is no? Can you definitively say, no, I am just like them, and I can become just like them? Do you know how they became so great in faith?

The answer is actually really simple. Now, don't get me wrong. When I say simple, it doesn't mean it's not hard. Oh, it's difficult. But to understand how to have that kind of faith is really simple. Faith is vital to all of us, and none of us will be in the kingdom of God without it.

But it is not complicated to build. Those people, people like that, that even on on death's doorstep, do not panic. Do not say, why me? Do not live the final hours of their life in anxiety. They had faith because they followed God's simple instructions on how to have faith. And when we follow these simple instructions, then we will become those people who are faithful, not shaken by trial. You will be the steady rock, the person who cannot be moved, the person who can be counted on, the person that long after you are dead, someone will speak of you like I just spoke of George Payton.

How do we get that faith? That's what I want to talk about today. It's really simple, really basic sermon, nothing complicated. Where does faith come from?

To answer that, we need to clearly define what faith is. Because if you go into the world, just even through America, and you ask people what faith is, you're going to get some astoundingly different answers, some answers of religious, ethereal thought that really have nothing to do with practical life and getting you through trials and being that rock that you can be counted on. When we say faith, what do we mean? And the better question is, when the apostles wrote faith, what did they mean? And can you translate what faith means when you read it in the Bible into your everyday life? So let's define faith, first of all. It's not magic.

Faith is not some ethereal thought, and it is not a feeling. Very, very important. Faith is not an emotion. You know why? Emotions won't get you through trials, because in a trial, your emotions are up and down and all over the place. Emotions change. Emotions go with the flow. Faith doesn't move. Faith is not a feeling. It is something that you have inside, but it's not something that comes from you. And therefore, the people that you have looked up to in the church as being these pillars of faith are no better than you, because it did not come from them either. It's not something that you well up inside. They were not better than you, and you can be. That rock. Hebrews 11, verse 1, defines what faith is. We usually read that either in the King James or the New King James version, and in fact, you've probably got it memorized in the King James or the New King James version, and good for you, but do you know what it means? I like the NIV definition. I don't normally like the NIV, but I like the New International Version definition of Hebrews 11, verse 1.

They translate it very, very well. Hebrews 11, verse 1, Now faith is being sure of what we hope and certain of what we do not see. Sure and certain.

Does that fit the definition in your mind of what faith is?

Faith is being sure of things you can't see.

In other words, absolute trust in something that you hope for, but you don't yet have.

When Mr. Payton, the man I spoke of, was dying, he was sure that God would keep his promise and that he would live again. And it wasn't even worth discussing. His cancer, his well-being, any treatments he was going to go through or was going through, was irrelevant to him.

Because he was sure. Faith is being sure. How can you have that? We're going to talk about that. Faith is not a delusion.

Faith is not wishful thinking. Faith is being sure.

Being sure of God and what he said and what he promised.

Fully convinced that God's word is true and his promises are sure.

To put it in one word, faith is Jesus Christ and the apostles use that one word. Many times in the New Testament, they said, if you believe, if you have belief, what were they talking about? Being absolutely certain of God's word and his promises for you.

Absolute belief.

So here's the next question. Logically put, belief in what? Belief in God?

Believing that God exists? No. James 2, verse 19.

You know, before we go to James 2, you can just go to Romans 1, and Paul makes the argument that you can just look around. In Romans chapter 1, look around the universe, use observational science, observe the order and precision of this universe, and know that God exists.

It doesn't take faith to know that there is a God. So what is faith? James chapter 2, 19. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble.

So if you believe that there is a God, you're only doing what Satan and the demons do.

That's not enough. And this is the point. Much more than believing that there is a God, faith is believing God, believing what he says, believing that he will keep his promises to you.

Abraham, who's often called the father of the faithful—in fact, many times he's called the father of the faithful—why did it call Abraham the father of the faithful? And how can you have Abraham's level of faith? The level of faith where, do you remember when God said to Abraham, now I know?

Right? Abraham didn't withhold his only son, Isaac. And God stopped him and said, now I know. Can God say that of you and I? Will God be able to say that of you and I? Is it even possible that, yes, it's possible, and it is actually the point of why you're here?

This is why you were called into the church.

It's not only possible, it is necessary and required. Yes, it's possible.

Here's how Abraham did it in Romans 4, verse 20.

Romans 4, verse 20. Let's go through the story of Abraham just a little bit.

Verse 20 of Romans 4. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief.

Notice the contrast between faith and unbelief, meaning faith is belief.

But was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.

What did Abraham believe? Verse 21. And being fully convinced that what he had promised, he was also able to perform. Abraham was fully convinced that everything God said was true.

Verse 22. And therefore, it was accounted to him for righteousness.

Do you know that Abraham, as we read his story in Genesis, was not a perfectly righteous man?

He was not. It was accounted to him for righteous. I find that very, very encouraging. As I see myself make mistake after mistake in life, and I realize, hey, so did Abraham. He wasn't perfect. When God said he accounted righteousness to Abraham, guess what? Abraham was not righteous.

He was getting there. He was on his way. And God gave him credit. That's what accounted righteous means. And why would God give him credit for being righteous? Because he believed God.

And God can work with a mind that believes him. God can form that mind and mold that person. Can God mold you and I? Abraham believed God, and God gave him credit for being righteous to start working with him because he made so many mistakes. Remember Hagar and Ishmael?

Abraham, or Abram at the time, lied to two, not one, but two different kings, saying that Sarah was his sister. You would think he would get the point after the first mistake, no, just like you and I, he made the same mistake again. And it was accounted for him righteous while he was doing all of that.

Eventually it came to the point in his life where God said, now I know. He stretched out his hand to sacrifice Isaac, but he didn't start there.

And God counted him all the way back when he was a young man as being righteous because he believed God's promise. Let's go back there and read just a little bit about that story. What promise did God make to Abraham? What was it that Abraham believed? And what did Abraham do in order to build that faith? Genesis 12, verses 1-3. What we're going to focus on in the sermon today is your part in building faith. Faith comes from God and he instills it in you. He instilled it in Abraham, but Abraham had to do something in order to become the father of the faithful. Abraham had to participate. So the question we're asking today is, what is your part in participating in building faith? And can you become that rock that isn't shaken? Genesis 12, verse 1. Now the Lord said to Abram, Get out of your country from your family and from your father's house to the land that I will show you. Here's the promise. I will make a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great and you shall be a blessing. That's the promise of Jesus Christ. You will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you. I will curse him who curses you. And in you all families of the earth shall be blessed. A Messiah was promised to come from the seed of Abraham. And you know what Abraham did? He obeyed God. When he heard God's word, he believed God's word and he acted on God's word. And that's it, brethren. I just told you the secrets of building faith. So if you're the kind of person that can listen to a sermon for about 10 minutes and then you zone out, you just heard the point. You can go to sleep now and you will be fine. You will have gotten the point. I'm going to give a lot more detail proving that that is the point. But literally it is that simple. Abraham heard what God said. He believed it. He did it. And his faith was built brick by brick by brick over time. Until he got to the point when he was a very old man, God looked at him and said, now I know. Can he say that about you?

Abraham believed God. He heard what God said. And he got out of his country. He took his father with him. He went out of his country and eventually ended up in the promised land exactly where God told him to go. Let's go to chapter 15 where God once again gives Abraham a promise. Genesis chapter 15 verse 1. After these things, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision saying, do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward. But Abram said, Lord, God, what will you give me seeing I go childless? And the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus.

Then Abram said, look, you have given me no offspring. Indeed, one born in my house is my heir. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him saying, this one shall not be your heir.

But the one who will come from your own body shall be your heir. Abraham was old at this point. Sarah, his wife, was old at this point. Abraham believed him anyway.

That's faith. Then he brought him outside and said, look now towards heaven and count the stars if you are able to number them. And he said to him, so shall your descendants be. And here's the point. Verse 6. And he believed in the Lord, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

Even at this point, he wasn't quite there, but it was accounted to him for righteousness because he believed and obeyed. So what is faith? In a word, it is belief.

Being sure that God is on his throne and he is a person who keeps his promises to you.

So the question that we're asking today that I asked at the beginning is, so how do you get it?

How do you get faith? Do you just drum it up? Some people think it comes by trials.

Faith comes by trials. No. Faith is for trials. Faith isn't produced by trials.

Some people are afraid to ask for faith because they think that they're asking for fire to be dumped on their head. If I ask God for more faith, he's going to give me more trials.

That's not where faith comes from. That may be what faith is for.

Faith might be perfected in trials, just like gold is perfected in fire. Fire purifies gold, right?

Trials purify your faith. But guess what you have to have before the fire will purify the gold?

Right. You have to have the gold. You have to have gold to put in the fire in order for the fire to purify the gold. Same with your faith. You have to have faith in order for the trial to purify the faith. Faith does not come by trials. Faith does not come by feelings.

Is there a passage that says where faith comes from that's like real definitive and clear? Actually, there is. Let's go to Romans. Romans chapter 10 and verse 17. The apostle Paul makes this so clear it could not be more clear. Romans 10 and verse 17. So then, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

Faith comes by hearing the word of God.

Is it a passive hearing? Like, in other words, you listen to a sermon, you go, yeah, that was a pretty good sermon. And then, after services, you start conversations about how was your week, yeah, week was good, and then your stomach starts to growl, oh, I'm hungry.

And then, you go to lunch, and you have more great conversation. And then, Sunday comes, and then Monday comes, the workday starts, and you have no idea what that sermon was about. It never crosses your mind again. Is that how you build faith? Nay, nay.

That is not what Paul was talking about. You can't go and forget what you heard and build faith.

If you forget what you read in the Bible or what you hear in services, you're not going to build faith. It's not passive listening. It's not what Paul was talking about in Romans chapter 10 and verse 17. So, what did Paul mean by faith comes by hearing. Solomon clears that up in Proverbs, because Solomon talks a lot about listening, and Solomon talks about how God wants us to listen. We're not going to go through too many, because Proverbs is chock full of examples of how to listen. We'll just read one. Proverbs chapter 8 verses 32 through 36. Proverbs 8 verses 32 through 36. Listen to the poetry and the rhyme here, where Solomon puts listening together with obeying, as though they're two sides of the same coin. Proverbs 8 verse 32. Now therefore, listen to me, my children. Now, whenever you read my child or my children in Proverbs, in Hebrew poetry, it's a term of affection. It doesn't literally mean my boy. What it actually means is more like God giving you a hug. So, in other words, as Solomon is writing this, being inspired by God, when he says, my child, that's like God giving you a hug, because in Hebrew poetry, that's what that is supposed to imply. It infers affection. So, whenever you read that, remember, this is not written with furrowed brow and pointed finger. This isn't angry, like, you better listen to me, buddy. This is like God sticking you on his knee and about to give you a present with a hug and a kiss. Whenever you see my child or my children, think affection. So, now therefore, listen to me, my children. For blessed, meaning happy in Hebrew, happy are those who keep my ways. So, when you listen, you have to keep, which means do, obey. Listen and do are synonymous with each other. Verse 33, hear instruction and be wise and do not disdain it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates.

How often do we have to listen to God in order to build faith, one brick at a time, until we are that person, like Abraham, like George Payton that I talked about at the beginning of the sermon, where we are a rock that cannot be moved. How often do we have to listen, daily?

Some people say, I'm so busy. If you are busy and you have to get, you know, you're under pressure and you have to get stuff done every day, then you are far too busy to not read the Bible every day.

It's far too risky. Nobody is too busy to not read the Bible. You're too busy to not read it.

You must read it.

Daily at my gates, waiting at the post of my doors, verse 35, for whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord. But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul. All of those who hate me love death. So according to this proverb, hearing involves keeping and practicing.

So in other words, faith comes by hearing and doing. And that's exactly what Abraham did all of his life until he got to the point where God said, now I know.

There's an obedience factor involved in faith. Jesus said the same thing in John chapter 8. This is the same theme throughout the entire Bible. John chapter 8 and verse 30, Jesus said, and he spoke these words, and many believed in him. Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, if you abide in my word, if you abide in my word, you are disciples indeed.

Now these Jews believed in Jesus Christ. They had faith.

But it wasn't just an emotion. They actually had to do.

The word abide, and according to Thayer's dictionary, means to be held, kept, or kept continually.

And that's the concept of how we build faith. What is our part in building faith? Listening and believing God and doing what he says every day. We do what we hear. We live the word. And believe it or not, it builds one little brick of faith in your life.

Until eventually it's a huge building that you cannot be moved. Let me give you a real life example.

Just one little example. And you can take this example and extrapolate the rest of your life.

Let's just look at one scripture where God gives us instruction and how we can build faith with this scripture. James chapter 3 and verse 17. James is speaking here. We're breaking into the thought. And he says, James chapter 3, 17, but wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, and full of mercy. And so maybe you read this in Bible study one day, or you hear a sermon on it. Mr. Smith comes and gives a sermon on it, the Sabbath, and you start thinking to yourself, you know, instead of just going away and thinking about what I'm going to have for lunch, that point actually hit home to me. And you start asking yourself, do I react a little too harsh? Am I a little too aggressive sometimes? So in order to build faith, you start to react more gently. You respond to the word that you heard and believed.

You heard the word, I need to be peaceable and gentle, and you believed it, and now you put it into practice. Every day stuff, every day, you wake up and you say, I am going to curb my aggression and I'm going to be more gentle. And all of a sudden you see that it works. You practice what you hear in the Word of God, and your relationships, they start to get better. Your life starts to get better, and your faith in God is increased. How did that happen? It happened when you didn't just hear the Word of God, but you actively listened to the Word of God. When you read, I need to be more gentle, you started to try to be more gentle. And even though that'll probably take a lifetime to fix, you started. And you're still actively working on it, even though next Sabbath you come and you hear another point and you pull one point. I've heard some sermons that have, the minister has literally had more than 50 points. And it's overwhelming. What do you do? Well, God inspired that sermon because you're going to pull one point out of that sermon, and you're going to work on it. And it's going to hit home. And if you act on what you hear, you will build faith. This is what Jesus meant when he said, if you abide in my Word, you are my disciples indeed. I hope that's clear. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God, but it's not a casual hearing. You have to put it into practice, everything that you learn from God. That's what Abraham did. God said, get out of your country. He got out of his country.

Go here, go there, do this, do that. He did it all the way up to sacrifice your son.

And he stretched out his hand. God stopped him and said, now I know.

You have to put into practice what you learn. So then your faith in God is built up.

Brick by brick, piece by piece, you become that rock.

You become the person who you might think is better than you right now, but they are not.

Abraham did not falter. God made him a promise. He wasn't a perfect man, not yet, but he believed God. So God gave him credit for being righteous. And you know what?

God will give you credit as well. God gives us a lot of credit and a lot of room to grow.

What is faith? Faith is being sure of something you cannot see.

Being positive that you will receive what God promised and what you hope for.

Faith is trusting belief in what God says.

So how do you obtain it? I hope this was simple and I hope that it was clear. You obtain faith by listening to the word of God and then acting on it. And it builds a little bit at a time. Make the choice to believe and trust the word of God and then put it into practice. You don't have to limp through life.

If you have not grown in faith over the years, if you have sort of stagnated, if you have sort of stagnated, you can start growing today.

If you feel like you're sort of an inferior Christian, you are not.

That is not why you were called to look up to other people and say, wow, I'll never be like them. You were called to grow in faith and I was called to grow in faith so that we could help other people find salvation as well.

We're not just called for personal salvation. We're also called to be firstfruits for other people.

And you are one of those. So, brethren, you either believe or you don't.

I suggest don't limp through life half in and half out. That's not the way to reach the goal.

Truly believe. Trust God's word. Trust his promises. This is the beginning of faith.

This is where it starts. Building it is really simple. Listen to God. Practice what he says.

Don't live a double life. If you do that in the end, you will be one of those steady people who never falter and you will have great faith. So, what is faith for? Why do we need it?

Well, I didn't cover that today. That's a topic for another sermon. The only thing we covered this morning or this afternoon was, how do you get the faith? Where does it come from? It doesn't come from inside you, so you're not inferior to anybody. It comes from God, and when you listen to him and you obey him, it is built up inside you, one brick at a time.